1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which is equipped with a network interface, and further equipped with an interface by which a peripheral device can be connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is an image forming apparatus which is equipped with a network interface and an interface by which a peripheral device can be connected. As the image forming apparatus like this, a digital MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) which is equipped with a LAN/WAN (Local Area Network/Wide Area Network) interface and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface and serves as a USB host has been widely known.
Further, there is a technique which controls a USB device connected with a USB connector for serving as a USB client. Furthermore, there is a technique which, in an apparatus with which a USB device is connected, directly controls the USB device in response to an instruction from a dedicated USB device controlling application running in the apparatus.
In addition to these techniques, a technique which controls a USB device from an information processing apparatus connected with the USB device through a network has been known. More specifically, as the relevant technique which controls the USB device through the network, a USB Over IP™ technique has been known. Incidentally, “USB Over IP™” will be simply called “USB Over IP” hereinafter.
In the USB Over IP technique, an information processing apparatus which controls a USB device and a USB device connection apparatus with which the USB device to be controlled is connected are connected with each other through an IP (Internet Protocol) network. Further, data which is to be exchanged in communication between the information processing apparatus which controls the USB device and the USB device is capsuled on an IP packet and then transmitted, and the USB device is actually controlled on the basis of the transmitted data.
Incidentally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-048048 discloses the technique which controls a USB device, and the technique which controls a USB device from a network.
As previously described, there is the USB Over IP technique which controls the USB device from the network. The USB device connection apparatus (also called the MFP hereinafter) to which the USB Over IP technique has been implemented does not need to have application software which is used to control in detail the USB device connected with the USB host connector on the USB device connection apparatus. This is because the information processing apparatus, which is connected by the network, performs the whole and detailed control dedicated to the USB device on the network.
However, in a case where the network-connected information processing apparatus like this goes down (including a case where the network is disconnected), it becomes of course impossible to use the USB device completely. Under the circumstances, although the USB device side has been electrified, the software itself which actively operates the USB device has become non-existent.